Game apparatus



(No M del.)

H. L. SMITH. GAME APPARATUS.

No. 401,222. Patented Apr; 9, 1889.,

UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

GAM E APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 401,222, dated April 9, 1889. Application filed July 28, 1888. Serial No. 281,299. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY L. SMITH, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My improved game apparatus is designed to afford a means for playing a game of baseball on a parlor or other table.

I will describe an apparatus embodying my improvement in detail, and then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures.

A designates a board or table. Preferably this board or table will be covered with cloth. It is provided with sides a, which extend upwardly, so as to inclose a space which represents a ball-field. The sides a prevent the ball from passing oif from the field.

B designates the diamond, and I) Z) 12 respectively, first, second, and third bases.

O designates the pitchers box, and c the hom e-plate. Directly behind the home-plate, and secured in any suitable manner to the adjacent side a, is a cushion, G, of elastic material, preferably of india-rubber. This cushion, it will be seen, is curved upon its front face. A ball, therefore, striking the cushion will ricochet in a direction corresponding to the angle of deflection from the face of the cushion, and will pursue a course analogous to that of a ball struck by a batter.

The fielders d, I have shown as consisting of pins or pegs inserted in holes made to receive them in the board or table A at their proper positions-namely, first, second, and third base, short-stop, right, left, and center field. These fielders may, however, consist of pins set up on the board without being secured. At the lower portion of the field, or at the rear of the fielders, I have shown a bridge, D, having three arches, cl d (1 Near the head of the field I have shown projecting pieces E E, extending for a distance the center score is another score similar to the one last described, which indicates bases on balls and strikes. Any suitable meaus may be employed for indicating the scores upon the score-card.

, The game is played by placing the ball in the pitchers box and striking it with a mallet or otherwise, so that it will hit the cushion G. The ball will then ricochet. If it passes behind the projection E, it counts a strike. If behind the projection E, it counts a ball. If it strikes any of the men, it counts out. If it stops inside the diamond, it counts out. If it passes through either of the arches d 61 d it counts for a two-base hit, three-base hit, or home-run, according as it may be arranged by the players to count them. If the ball clears the fielders, but does not pass through an arch, it counts a base-hit.

In this game the mallet or other instrument with which the ball is struck represents the pitcher, while the cushion G represents the batter as well as the home-plate.

It will be seen that by my improvement I provide a board whereby a game of baseball may be played at home, and by which nearly all the incidents of a regular game of. baseball are furnished.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a game apparatus, the combination, with a board or table laid out to represent a ball-field and provided with raised sides, of an elastic cushion having acurved outer surface and representing a batter and a number of pins or pegs representing fielders.

2. A game apparatus comprising a board or 3. A game apparatus comprising a board or table laid out to represent a ball-field and provided with raised sides, an elastic cushion representing the batter, and abridge pro- 10 vided with arches extending across the rear port-ion of the field, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

HENRY L. SMITH. Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES,

MINERT LINDEMAN. 

